Africa-Press – Angola. The Angolan Government launched Wednesday, in Lubango (Huíla), the Climate Resilience and Water Security Project in Angola “RECLIMA”, which will be implemented by the Ministry of Energy and Water, in five years, to benefit 955 thousand people, in eight provinces of the country.
The project has financing of 450 million dollars, 300 million from the World Bank (WB) and 150 million from the French Development Agency (AFD). The objective is to improve water supply and strengthen the management of water resources for greater climate resilience in the beneficiary provinces.
With an implementation period of five years (2022-2026), it will be implemented in the provinces of Huíla, Cuando Cubango, Benguela, Cuanza Sul, Cunene, Namibe, Zaire and Luanda.
It has four components, the first being the improvement of water supply services, ensuring increased reliability in water security in urban and peri-urban areas.
The second comprises the strengthening of water resources management, which aims at climate resilience, involving the Office for the Cunene, Cubango and Cuvelai Hydrographic Basins, the National Institute of Water Resources, other entities that deal with water management based in the provinces in reference.
This component consists of a network of infrastructures that guarantee water reserves, taking into account the creation of conditions that in future drought events may have the minimum necessary for the development of activities in the eight provinces.
The third element of RECLIMA is institutional promotion in project management, starting from the supervising ministry and provincial governments, and the last component refers to responding to emergency contingencies.
When launching the project and the initial technical workshop, the Secretary of State for Water, Manuel Quintino, stated that RECLIMA arises from the need to establish bases for sustainable growth and the improvement of liquid supply services to populations, as well as its management for climate resilience.
He stated that the project focuses on strengthening the institutional structure, the monitoring capacity of the water sector and the training of companies that provide water supply services.
The initiative, according to the person responsible, will focus on aspects linked to increasing resilience, climate change and access to reliable water resources.
At this moment, he continued, the country has to implement the Program to Combat the Effects of Drought in Southern Angola, so RECLIMA comes with complementary actions to create synergies, taking into account the establishment of human dignity.
“RECLIMA must be integrated into the efforts that the Executive has developed, taking into account the resolution of the basic needs of the populations. Yes, water, for human beings, for livestock and food production, in order to create food security, taking into account the fight against poverty and the development of human beings”, he reaffirmed.
In turn, the BM representative for Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, Juan Carlos Alvarez, said that the project reinforces the strategic partnership between the government of Angola, AFD and the banking institution it represents.
He said that the drought in southern Angola over the last 10 years has shown the need to pay more attention to the management of water resources and climate variability at provincial and municipal levels, hence the focus on rural water supply and management of water resources in the region. in the south of the country, the most affected by the drought.
“The successful implementation of the project will depend on the collaboration of provincial and municipal governments and timely contributions from all beneficiaries. The BM is a strategic partner for Angola in implementing the project”, he reinforced.
Therefore, the director of AFD for Angola, Valérie Tehio, stressed that water and sanitation are priorities for her Agency, so the initiative is an opportunity to extend support to improving the water sector in the eight provinces covered, particularly the affected by drought.
Climate is a priority for Angola and AFD to reduce the vulnerability of people in the territory, with support from communities in creating low-carbon development trajectories that are resilient to the effects of climate change.
“Angola is among 20 countries in the world most exposed to the effects of climate change and the southern part of the country is the most affected, so managing the potential of water resources is essential”, he stated.
Participating in the initial technical workshop for the implementation of RECLIMA, lasting two days, are vice-governors, Water and Sanitation Companies from the provinces covered in the project, national directors, heads of ministerial departments, members of civil society, among others.
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